By CARL MANNING, AP
FREDONIA, Kan. (AP) — When rancher Bill Inman decided to show there's more to America than the gloom-and-doom on the nightly news, he hopped on his horse and started riding.
And riding, and riding.
Some 1,700 miles later, he's burning through his family's life savings as he collects stories of hardworking, honest everyday people in rural America.
"The scenery in America is changing and I'm really proud we're taking a snapshot at slow motion of this time period, because 20 years from now it will be different," he said.
Inman soaks it all in atop Blackie, a 16-year-old thoroughbred-quarter horse mix who's averaging 20-25 miles a day along backroads from Oregon to North Carolina.
Inman, 48, started June 2 from his hometown of Lebanon, Ore., and is halfway through his cross-country trek dubbed Uncovering America by Horseback.
His wife, Brenda, also 48, drives ahead in a pickup and horse trailer filled with water and provisions for Blackie, three dogs and the couple.
They estimate the journey will cost them $45,000. They want to make a documentary film and write a book, and a filmmaker and Web site operator are tagging along.
Said Inman: "It's probably the most stupid thing I've done financially, but I truly believe in it."
He and his crew often rely on strangers since they don't have national sponsors to underwrite them. They'll accept a meal, a place to sleep, cash, or donated feed for Blackie, who eats about 20 pounds of high-fat feed a day.
Bill began his trek after growing weary of the daily media drumbeat he thinks is too focused on war, crime, poverty and assorted social ills.
"Unfortunately, the image they are portraying is there's corruption in every politician and there's criminals running everywhere," he said.
Hundreds of interesting people have greeted Inman along the way.